


Nine days

by swishandflick



Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: Canon Divergence, Crack-ish, Fluff, Getting Together, LA era, Lovett POV, M/M, POV Outsider, Sex Mentions, Some angst, alcohol mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 16:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23337970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swishandflick/pseuds/swishandflick
Summary: The one good thing to come out of Jon and Tommy being apart for a fortnight for the first time since 2004 is that they just might get their shit together. And if they don’t, Lovett’s going to kill them, sell their shares in the company, and elope with Ronan to the Galapagos Islands.A Jon/Tommy getting together fic.
Relationships: Jon Favreau/Tommy Vietor, Ronan Farrow/Jon Lovett
Comments: 11
Kudos: 54





	Nine days

**Author's Note:**

> I woke up this morning in these weird, troubled times, and I was much comforted by Dan ribbing Jon and Tommy on twitter about how they haven't been apart for more than ten days since 2004, and this fic sprang out of that. Thanks Dan!
> 
> This is a Lovett POV fic about Jon and Tommy getting together. I've always admired outsider POV fics but it's my first time writing one. Also note that while this is a vietreau fic, it is also very much a rolo fic, being from Lovett's POV. I tried to keep the focus on Jon and Tommy, but as with an outsider looking in, you don't always get every piece of the story. 
> 
> I hope you like it, and as always, keep it secret, keep it safe!

It’s almost noon, and Lovett’s been at work for _six hours_ already. Screw eastern time zones and interviews with senators at 6 am Pacific. Screw time zones. 

“Time’s an imaginary construct but we’re all its real slaves,” he thinks, and then repeats it out loud. Jon deserves to hear the pearls of wisdom that reside in his brain, especially at this trying time when his life is crumbling apart.

Lovett gets a predictable laugh out of him, but Jon’s looking down at his phone like it’s personally offended him. Lovett rolls his eyes, and resists sighing loudly. It’s day three, and it’s already a nightmare. This was going so much worse than his initial estimates had predicted. 

“Do you want to get lunch?” he calls out to Jon. “I’ll even buy.”

Jon looks up then, and Lovett feels a pang of sorrow and pity at the dark circles under Jon’s eyes. He’s all too familiar with being apart from someone you love after a long time of coexisting; the struggle falling asleep with the knowledge that you won’t see them the next day.  
Or sometimes fifteen.

“Sure,” Jon shrugs, pocketing his phone with a final glaring look at it. “Tacos?” 

“We need to be back by 12:45 to set up for the recording, let’s go somewhere closer,” Lovett reminds him as they walk out from their office to the lobby. Tanya and Priyanka are standing around, idly throwing a ball for Leo and Pundit. Jon’s eyes light up as he sees the dogs, going down to his knees so they can come bounding to him with their tails wagging madly. 

_Dog magnet_, Tommy calls him, because there’s not a single dog Jon Favreau can’t charm into falling in love with him. 

Tanya sidles up to Lovett as Jon and Priyanka pet the dogs, crouched on the floor. “Is he doing okay?” she whispers. 

Lovett thinks for a second, bottling his surprise quickly. Of course everyone knows. Everyone but Jon and Tommy, it looks like, because they are fucking oblivious.

“I’m taking care of it,” Lovett assures her. “He’s depressed, but I think they’re still talking on the phone like, every day. And every night too, apparently, Ronan said he can hear Tommy pacing around in his room for hours, talking on the phone every night.”  
“Do _you_ know why they’re not dating? Or forget that, they should skip straight to marriage.” Tanya’s staring at him with the same look she has when she ask him why they haven’t done the ad reads yet, or why they’re arguing on twitter again. 

Lovett puts his hands up defensively. “Hey, I’ve jokingly and not-jokingly told them to go for it forever, but there’s only so much persuasion even I have when faced with the heteronormativity of two Boston bros.”

“Ready, Lovett?” Jon calls from the floor, standing up and dusting off his sweats. Lovett watches him put the leash on Leo and Pundit, marveling at the fact that Jon Favreau is wearing sweatpants to the office. 

“Be back by 1,” he yells out, following Jon and the dogs out of the office.

“12:45!” Tanya reminds him. “12:45 or I’m calling Dan myself and doing the pod.”

“That might not be the worst idea.” Lovett tells Jon as they reach the car. “Tanya and Dan, can you imagine? The charts will be on fire. Oh, let me drive.”

Jon looks grateful, his expression startlingly like Leo’s when they give him his favorite treat. 

“More time cuddling the dogs can only be good for you during the most difficult period of your life,” Lovett cannot resist saying, climbing into the drivers’ seat. Jon looks over at him with a furrow between his eyebrows as he settles in after putting his seatbelt on, warm, wiggly dogs contentedly settled on his lap.

“What?” Jon says. Because he’s the most clueless person in the world when it comes to his heart. Well, bar one.

“I mean, Tommy’s gone so you’re sad and mopey so you need the dogs more than I do.” Lovett pulls out of their building and steps down on the gas.

“Um, I am fine. He’ll be back. I mean, I am alright, why wouldn’t I be? It’s only fifteen days. And he’s doing this for our company. I mean, _I am fine_.” Jon says resolutely besides him, with the tone of someone who is totally, unquestionably fine.

“Clearly.” Lovett says drily. It was going to be a long week.

xxx

“So then he just started going on about how fine and okay he is for the whole ride, and I started seriously contemplating if I should just jump out of the car into traffic. And I would’ve done it, if I wasn’t the one driving.”  
Ronan chuckles, and the sound settles warmly into Lovett’s chest.

“Well, if it helps, Tommy’s taken to staring at pictures of Leo and Jon on his phone, and he’s not even trying to hide it anymore.”

Lovett groans loudly, making Pundit lounging on the couch next to him woof in concern. “Why can’t they just get their act together? It’s been, Ronan, I’ve dealt with this for ten years now! Enough! Take me away!” He buries his hand in Pundit’s fur.

“Jonathan,” Ronan says placatingly. “If you’re going to be screaming about this for the next week and a half, maybe you should just do something. I’ll help. It could even be fun.”

“Ronan, are you suggesting that we play cupid?” Lovett smiles. Ronan has the best ideas. 

“I prefer to think of it more as giving them a slight, subtle nudge towards realizing the truth organically in a-.”

“Okay, okay, save that for the New Yorker. You’re suggesting we play cupid!” Lovett says gleefully. “Get our unaware friends together-”

“-but we’re not putting them on the spot with anything-” Ronan chimes in.

“-get them to want to make out and jump each other when they see each other again-”

“-we need to get them to just _talk_ to each other-”

“-so we should lock them up in a room or something.” Lovett finishes. Pundit’s looking up at him quizzically. He bends down to brush a kiss on her fluffy head.

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.” Ronan muses, causing Lovett to whoop in success. “I’ll be down there before Tommy is, so we can even be ready for when Tommy comes back.”

“Let’s put them in a room together and not let them out till we hear them fuck-”

“Jonathan,” Ronan laughs, but he sounds pleased, amused. “You’re a menace.”

“Hey, don’t insult your co-conspirator!” Lovett tells him sternly. “At least not if you want me to blow your mind on Skype later tonight.” 

“Yeah? You’re going to be good for me? Do what I say, baby?” Ronan’s voice comes through softly. 

“Yeah. I want to be good.” Lovett whispers. Not for the first time, he wishes he could physically crawl through the phone all the way to Ronan.

Ronan clears his throat. Lovett can almost picture him adjusting himself through his sweats. 

“I’ll call you once I finish dinner with Tommy and we take Lucca on a walk. Probably going to be eight your time.” Ronan promises him.

“Try to distract him?Play some video games with him, I don’t know. I don’t want him sleepless, you know how he gets.” Lovett does not like the familiar rush of worry flooding his chest at the thought of anxious, sleep deprived Tommy. He’d have liked to have left that feeling along with that version of Tommy behind at the White House.

“This might be good for both of them, you know. Being lovesick, and for that long, can’t be good for you.” Ronan says. “Okay, Tommy just got back, I’ll talk to you later, darling.”

“Bye Ronan.” Lovett hangs up, feeling mildly settled about what he’s taken to calling “the bro situation”. They have a plan. 

xxx

“Hi Tommy!” Lovett hears Jon say into his phone the next day in their office, sheer happiness evident in his voice, face lighting up so much that it could power a thousand solar panels.

Lovett watches surreptitiously over his laptop as Jon laughs into his phone. “Yeah, I had fun last night. We should do that more often.”

Lovett eyes rise up. He quickly pulls out his phone.

_Lovett: WHAT DID TOMMY DO LAST NIGHT_

Ronan’s response comes quick.

_Ronan: Um. I guess he slept? I don’t really know, seeing as I wasn’t in bed with him._

_Lovett: That’s a fantasy for another time. WHY DIDNT YOU KEEP AN EYE ON HIM I TOLD YOU TO_

_Ronan: I was kind of distracted giving my fiancé a great orgasm. Two great orgasms actually. What’s going on?_

Lovett glances up. Jon’s smiling softly now, his cheeks slightly pink, petting Leo who’s curled up on his lap. 

_Lovett: Jon’s talking to Tommy about how much fun he had with him last night. I need to know what happened_

_Ronan: Ooh. Maybe they had hot phone sex and realized they are in love?_

Lovett rolls his eyes at the phone. If only his life was that easy.

_Lovett: I think you’re underestimating how pigheaded they can be about their feelings._

_Lovett: Maybe they were talking about Obama._

_Ronan: That’s sure to turn them on, so my point still stands._

_Lovett: Ronan! That’s my former boss!_

_Ronan: Come on, you’ve seen the way those two talk about the president._

_Lovett: I don’t care! But try and get something out of Tommy!_

“Tommy says hi and that he misses you, Lovett.” Jon calls out then, making Lovett look up guiltily from his phone, like he wasn’t discussing Jon and Tommy, and -he’s so blaming Ronan for this- Obama.

“Of course he misses me, I am his favorite.” Lovett lies cheerfully, watching Jon throw his head back and laugh. “Did you talk to him yesterday?” he asks casually. Whatever. Ronan doesn’t have to be the only suave investigator in their household.

Jon hums. “Yeah. He said the panel with the Columbia students went really well, and that some of them are even applying-”

Lovett interrupts him. “Yeah I know, we are both on the same slack thread, Jon. I mean, did you talk to him otherwise?

Jon shrugs. “A little. He said he played Zelda with Ronan last night, and that he really liked the sushi place near the house.”

Lovett tries hard not to look disappointed. Jon’s a tougher nut to crack than he’d originally given him credit for. He hopes Ronan has better luck. After all, isn’t that what investigative journalists are good at?

xxx

“You did what?” Lovett says flatly.

“I spoke to Tommy in a super off-hand, super chill manner about seeing what’s on his mind.” Ronan says cheerfully, and as if that wasn’t enough, adds, “About Jon.”

“You spoke to Tommy about Jon.” Lovett repeats.

“In a super off-hand, super chill-”

“Ronan!” Lovett whines. “We are not supposed to let them know that we think that they’re in love!”

“But we _do_ think that they’re in love.” Ronan sounds bemused. 

“That’s not the point,” Lovett shrieks.

“Jonathan, if we get them to just talk out loud about their feelings, maybe that’ll help them actually talk to each other.”

Lovett softens. He’s the first one who’ll admit it, sometimes his flair for drama supersedes his fondness for the simple and easy solutions. It only takes Ronan making the point for Lovett to see that.

“So what did Tommy say?” he asks eagerly. Fuck this, if Tommy did end up confessing his undying love, Lovett can get Ronan to work his magic on Jon. Anything that would get him to stop sighing and pouting at his phone.

“He said he misses Jon a lot and that it’s the first time they’ve not seen each other for this long for a while.”

“Hmm, how long?”

“Since 2004.”

“2004?” Lovett screeches. “That’s- Ronan, that’s fifteen years! That’s when they met!”

“I know, they’re hopeless.” Ronan sounds amused, but also really fond. “I then tried telling him what we do when we’re apart, and um, he got spooked, I think, because he went to bed pretty quickly after that.”

“What we do..like what we did on Skype the other day?” Lovett snorts. “Of course he ran away, Ronan.”

“I mean, I let that slip too, but I mostly spoke about how we play video games and watch movies over facetime and talk a lot on the phone.”

“We do talk a lot on the phone.” Lovett says brightly. “And I guess so are they? At least from what you told me from the first night Tommy came over to stay.” 

“He was definitely on the phone when he came outside to grab something. Jonathan, maybe you should do the same thing with Jon.”

“I told you I tried, but he started talking about Tommy’s new podcast? With so much loving detail like I wasn’t around when it was conceptualized? I am frankly offended, he never sounds like that when talking about _my_ show.”

“Jon snorted wine out of his nostrils like, twice, and both times were when he was in the audience of your show. Okay listen,” Ronan says, all brusque and professional. It’s distractingly hot, and Lovett feels warm under his collar.

“You need to talk to Jon in a relaxed setting. Tell him you didn’t know that they haven’t been apart in so long. Get him to open up a little. Maybe we can both even encourage them to open up to each other.”

“Maybe I’ll tell Jon that you’ve fallen in love with Tommy, see if the jealousy helps.” Lovett jokes.

“I mean, if you think that’ll help,” Ronan deadpans.

“This all makes so much sense. Even when Tommy lived in San Francisco, he came down here so many times. And I think Jon went up there some time too. These two cannot stay away from each other. Jesus.” 

“I can’t say I am unfamiliar with the feeling,” Ronan quips. “And I cannot wait to see you and Pundit on Sunday. Kiss her for me?”

“I will,” Lovett cuddles Pundit closer to him. “Three more days.”

“Three more days,” Ronan promises. “And then I’m there for..actually, I don’t think I know when I have to come up here again.”

Lovett lets the warmth of that statement carry him throughout the day, even when he spots Jon in the studio looking morosely at his phone, an expression Lovett now calls Jon’s _Why hasn’t Tommy texted me back yet?_ face.

If they’re looking at silver linings, he hopes that the one good thing to come out of Jon and Tommy being apart for a fortnight for the first time since 2004 is that they just might get their shit together. And if they don’t, Lovett’s going to kill them, sell their shares in the company, and elope with Ronan to the Galapagos Islands.

xxx

Lovett corners Jon in the kitchen after the Thursday pod recording and invites himself over for dinner on Friday.

“I have the Blue Apron salmon dish if you want to do that,” Jon says, not looking up from his phone. Lovett wonders if he should suggest super glueing his phone to his hand for easy access.

“Don’t you want to do that with Tommy?” Lovett likes Blue Apron, but it’s far more a Jon and Tommy joint activity than it’s ever been his. It’s fine. He’s not privy to some parts of their friendship, and he’s not as bitter about it as he once was, especially now that he knows that the friendship is a lot more complicated than it seems on the surface.

“We’re getting a new box next Saturday when Tommy gets back.” Jon shrugs, like he’s trying to sound nonchalant. Lovett knows Jon’s counting down the days, probably has a calendar by his bed where he crosses out dates; the Saturday Tommy returns covered in little hearts. He amuses himself with this for a long minute during which Jon types furiously fast.

“Okay, salmon then. I’ll bring ice cream. And wine.” 

Jon lifts an eyebrow. “Are you wining and dining me, Lovett? I am honored.”

He’s such an asshole, and when this is all over Lovett’s going to demand total control of the drink selection in the office. 

“Only being a good friend,” he simpers, making his way out of the kitchen, Diet Coke in hand. Jon’s happy “Hey Tommy” into his phone follows him back to his desk.

xxx

“You know, Gordon Ramsey will probably say that this fish is overcooked, but it’s perfect.” Jon takes another bite, chasing it with the Moscato Lovett brought over.

“That sounds like _you’re_ saying the fish is overcooked, Jon.” 

“No, it’s perfect, which I also said.” Jon smiles at him sweetly, and Lovett really wishes he could make him keep doing that. Forget that he’s missing Tommy for a while. Maybe actually getting him out of the house to have dinner outside in the garden is helping with that. 

The phone however, predictably ruins that plan with a buzz.

Jon picks it up with a slightly apologetic look aimed at Lovett, but then smiles softly when he glances at his screen. He holds his phone out.

It’s a photo of Ronan and Tommy, arms around each other, smiles on their faces as they pose in their suits. 

Ronan looks so edible that Lovett wishes he was there to take the suit off of him at once. 

“Wow, I want to get Ronan out of that suit at once,” he says. Screw it, he’s already mildly tipsy.  
Whatever confrontation he’s going to get out of Jon is going to be a loose one.

Jon frowns. “It looks good! Why would you-” His eyes widen and his mouth falls open in realization, his cheeks pinkening slightly. 

“Yeah.” Lovett takes a long swig of wine. “Tommy looks great too! Those cheekbones on him, has he cut anyone lately?”

It’s a lame joke, but Jon throws his head back promptly, laughing. “I’ll make sure to check.” 

“Hmm,” Lovett says distractedly, nudging the pitcher of water towards Jon as he hears him clear his throat noisily. Ronan’s sending him rather colorful pictures of himself dressing up in his suit earlier, his dress shirt hanging off of his shoulders invitingly. Lovett needs to be in his house by the time Ronan and Tommy finish their live panel.

After texting Ronan a string of exclamation points and some choice words about what he wants to do to him when they talk later that night, he finds Jon looking down at his phone as always, his cheeks still pink. 

“What’s Tommy saying?” Lovett inquires, propping his chin on his hand. Leo and Pundit are chasing each other, and Lovett gives it five minutes before they tire out and collapse in identical golden balls of fur against each other on the lawn.

“He says he misses us.” Jon smiles at Lovett. “I think it’s the longest he’s been away from LA since he moved.”

Lovett loves good openings. “And the longest he’s been without you in what I hear is fifteen years.”

Jon’s face falls, and Lovett almost kicks himself. 

“Yeah,” Jon confesses, laughing a bit wildly. “Somehow we haven’t been away from each other for this long since Chicago. It’s crazy.”

“I noticed you’ve been, um, a bit distracted all week. He’ll be back soon, you know?Just one more week.” Lovett can’t help but feel a bit smug. There, Ronan. He can get his friends to confess their feelings too.

Jon, however, because he has to throw water over Lovett’s smugness, looks puzzled. “I mean, yeah. But you and I can hold up the pod pretty well, and Ben’s got great guest hosts for Pod save the world-”

Lovett tries very hard not to sigh very loudly. “I don’t mean work, of course we’re fine at work. I meant _you._ Are you doing okay?”

“Yeah,” Jon smiles. “I even took Leo to the beach yesterday.”

He’s not going to get anything else out of Jon if he’s this oblivious, and talking about Leo and beaches. Lovett wants to scream.

xxx

“Ronan, he’s killing me,” Lovett screams into the phone later that night. “I tried, I swear I tried, and he very factually stated that he hasn’t been away from Tommy for this long ever, but then he clammed up!”

“Baby, you have to give it time.” Ronan sounds calm and sleepy, his voice the deep rumble it is only when he’s sated, and Lovett takes a second to feel proud for having worn him down that thoroughly through the phone.

“And I didn’t really get to talk to Tommy after the event either, I was kind of in a rush to get home as you know, and so was he, for some reason.”

“Probably to talk to Jon about how much they’re totally not missing each other,” Lovett murmurs. “Can I just say something during an ad read to make Jon get a hint?”

“Maybe we should just wait until we do your locked room idea. So even if they’re mad at us they’re at least dealing with it together.” Ronan sounds like he’s almost falling asleep now, and Lovett knows how rare that is.

“I’m going to let you go,” he says, “And I’m not going to think about this tomorrow.”

“Have fun at the escape room, baby. I love you.” 

“I love you more!” 

Lovett hears Ronan snigger. “I love you most.” 

xxx

Lovett contemplates inviting Jon to do the escape room with him and Spencer, but Jon bows out when he asks, citing prep for a piece he’s writing for the website. It works out just as well, because he doesn’t think about his two best friends and their stubborn refusal to see what’s right in front of them, all day. He doesn’t think about it when he’s on the PS4 later. He doesn’t think about it when he goes to bed, Ronan calling him from his cab on the way to the airport. He falls asleep with Ronan in his ear and a smile on his face, knowing Ronan would be here when he wakes up.

“Hi baby,” Lovett’s favorite voice in the entire world is whispering as he blinks his eyes open to the early morning sunlight filtering in through the window. Ronan’s leaning over him, towel around his hips, water dripping from his hair onto Lovett’s t-shirt. Lovett grabs his face and kisses him, not sparing a thought for morning breath. Ronan leans back a minute later and presses kisses all over Lovett’s face, climbing into bed over him.

“Hi,” Lovett rumbles when Ronan’s finished with his face and has kissed him soundly three more times. “Why didn’t you wait to shower with me?”

“I would’ve, but you looked so cute, all curled up under the duvet.” Ronan rests his wet head on Lovett’s chest and sighs. “I missed you. I’m never leaving again. You have to kick me out.”

“I’m going to kick you out of the bed in five minutes to dry your hair, you know you get chilly when you leave it like that for too long.” Lovett nevertheless tightens his arms around Ronan. They’ve got five minutes.

“Tommy was a bit upset when I left last night,” Ronan tells him a minute later. 

And that’s when Lovett starts thinking about it again. He hums curiously. “Upset? Why?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t really have dinner, and went to bed pretty early. And he left his phone outside his room to charge.”

Lovett sits up a bit. “He left his phone-that’s really weird. He and Jon are usually attached by-well, attached by the phone these days.”

Ronan’s quiet for a second before answering. “I know. Which is why I am wondering if they had a fight or something?”

Lovett scoffs. “Tommy and Jon don’t fight. They’re practically one mind and one soul in two different bodies.”

Ronan lets it slide, but the unease lingers in the back of Lovett’s brain for the rest of the day, especially when his text to Jon about going to see Parasite next weekend when Tommy’s back goes unanswered.

xxx

Ronan’s proven right as soon as Lovett walks into the office Monday morning. Well, late morning. He refuses to come in earlier than ten on the days immediately after Ronan’s just been back. It might even be in his contract.

Jon at his desk, looking like he hasn’t slept in days, his hair unkempt. He clearly hadn’t bothered to shave that morning. He’s focused on his computer, phone nowhere in sight.

“Hello,” Lovett calls out cautiously, setting his backpack on his chair.

Jon smiles tightly at him. “Hi Lovett. How’s Ronan?” His voice sounds scratchy, like he hasn’t spoken in a while.

Worry floods Lovett’s chest. What did they do? And how can Lovett help fix this? He feels bereft without Pundit, who’s staying home with Ronan, but he walks over to Leo playing with a ball of string near Tommy’s desk. 

“He’s fine, he has a book event tomorrow.” Leo comes bounding up to Lovett and he scoops him up. “What’s going on with you?”

Jon shrugs in his maddening way, and Lovett walks over to him and drops Leo on to Jon’s lap unceremoniously. Jon needs him more than Lovett does at the moment.

“Jon, come on, what happened with Tommy,” Lovett says impatiently. He’s beyond pretense at the moment, he needs to know so he can think about how to fix that look on Jon’s face. And Tommy, who’s apparently not eating, Jesus.

Jon looks up from Leo’s fur, and his eyes are tinged with red. Lovett’s going to kill both of them.

“I think we had a fight,” Jon murmurs quietly. 

“A fight?” Lovett echoes, the worry in his chest turning to dread. Jon and Tommy don’t fight.  
That’s probably not a helpful thing to say, however. “What happened? Do I need to kick Tommy’s ass? How will that even work, he’s my friend too. Do I need to get Ronan to kick _your_ ass?”

Jon smiles, but it looks more like a pained grimace.

“We were talking to each other and I kind of told him something that maybe I shouldn’t have and I think he freaked out. And then we argued about it a bit and we, we hung up.” Jon sounds distraught, like he’s on the verge of tears, and Lovett finds himself at a loss for words. He wishes Ronan was here. He’d know what to do.

He quickly strides to stand behind Jon and puts a hand on his shoulder, hoping it communicates an offer to comfort. “Was this Saturday?” he asks gently. That goes with what Ronan told him about Tommy.

“Yeah,” Jon mumbles, and then, “How do you know?”

“Ronan said Tommy looked pretty upset the night he left New York,” Lovett tells him, omitting the details for now. Jon doesn’t need to hear about Tommy not eating well just yet. “Jon, if it’s worth anything, I think Tommy’s as beat up about this as you are, so maybe just talk to him?” 

Jon stays silent for a long while, and then nods. “When he gets back. I kind of have to, we run a company together,” he exclaims, sounding terrified at the very prospect.

“Never mind that, just fix, fix whatever happened.” Lovett wonders if Jon or Tommy can survive a week of this. 

Jon swivels around towards Lovett in his chair then, and his expression resembles the one Leo sports when Pundit or Lucca steal the ball from him. It’s too much for Lovett, so he lean over and hugs him tight, wishing he could fix Jon’s problems as easily as he can Leo’s.

xxx

Ronan stops by for a late lunch after they record the pod, laden with carryout bags. He pulls Jon into a long hug as soon as he walks in. Pundit runs into the office to tackle Leo.

“I brought tacos from that place you like, Jon. With the extra pulled jackfruit on the side.” Jon smiles at Ronan, and Lovett’s pretty certain that it’s the first time he’s properly smiled since Saturday. He’s so grateful for Ronan then, loves him so much, always.

“Hi baby,” Ronan turns to him, pressing a kiss to Lovett’s mouth. “I got your SOS, brought you more La Croix from the house.”

Lovett smiles and kisses him again. Jon clears his throat behind them. 

“We need to do some ad reads for Lovett or Leave it, can you hang around, Ronan?”

“Of course, I’m going to go say hi to Tanya and everyone else.” Ronan squeezes Lovett’s shoulder and leaves the office, Pundit and Leo trotting after him.

xxx

“Lovett or Leave it is brought to you by the New Yorker!”

“Ooh. We actually have the New Yorker in our office, right now!” Jon pipes up, smiling slightly at Lovett at the prospect of one of their favorite ad reads.

“We do! And let me tell you Jon, the New Yorker loves some tea in their honey.” 

Jon laughs as Lovett goes through the rest of the copy. 

“And as always, Lovett or Leave it is brought to you by the Cash app.”

Lovett waits for Jon to chime in, but he’s frowning at the door to the studio. Lovett signals to Elijah to pause, and his heart jumps as he sees a brown blur on the other side of the translucent glass door.

Jon’s out of his chair before Lovett can process what’s going on. Jon slides the door open, and Lucca pounces on him.

xxx

“Tommy,” Jon breathes, clutching Lucca close to his chest.

“Tommy!” Lovett yells from his stance by the door to their office. 

Tommy’s crouching inside their office, Leo curled up in his arms, Pundit licking his face. Ronan’s standing next to him, taco in hand, looking slightly shell shocked.

“What-” Lovett begins, but Jon beats him to it.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in New York right now?” He looks like he’s been socked, but like he’s very happy about it.

Tommy looks up at him. “I-I pushed my interviews to next month. One of them canceled too, and I had a whole open day, so I just rescheduled everything and got the first flight back. It’s fine, they’re all leaving for the holidays soon anyway, and I can catch them before we head to Iowa.”

He’s staring at Jon, only at Jon, and Lovett thinks they could probably stand there looking at each other until everyone turned to stone, so he snaps into action.

“Tommy, will you come help me and Jon with something in the studio for a second? Lovett’s already pushing Jon towards the direction of the studio, shaking his head at a bemused Elijah on the way.

“Can this wai-” Jon starts, and Lovett whispers, “No.”

Tommy doesn’t say anything but follows them, Leo still clinging to him.

Lovett gives Jon a firm shove inside once they reach the studio, lets Tommy pass him, and ignores the inquisitive look aimed at him.

Tommy and Jon turn to glance at Lovett. 

“Talk. Make up. Kiss. I’m not letting you out until you do.” Lovett slides the door shut with a definitive thud.

xxx

“What do you think they’re doing right now?” Lovett asks for maybe the eighth time.

Ronan rolls his eyes at him over his water. “As long as they don’t kill each other and you get arrested for it, I'm fine with anything.”

“I just need them to make up,” Lovett whines. “And this company needs it too. But me. I need it.”

“I can’t imagine them fighting for too long,” Ronan offers.

“I wonder if we should re record today’s pod, now that Tommy’s here. “ Lovett wonders aloud.

“Absolutely not,” comes Tommy’s voice from the doorway.

Lovett jumps. Tommy’s standing at the door, smiling at them, Jon right behind him. They’re suspiciously silent as they walk into the office, stopping in front of Lovett’s desk.

“Well,” Lovett demands, trying to keep the note of impatience out of his voice. “What happened?”

“Jonathan,” Ronan says chidingly. “Are you both okay?” Ronan’s looking from Jon to Tommy like he’s watching a tennis match.

“You know there’s a set of keys inside for when we get locked in the studio, right?” Jon asks, looking at Lovett.

“Oops,” Lovett acquises. “In that case, I’m glad you both stayed inside all this while. Now, _what happened_?”

They’re both looking at Ronan and Lovett with such an air of smugness that it even causes Ronan to mutter, “Well, that’s good buildup guys, but we’re dying here.”

Tommy takes a visibly deep breath and intertwines his fingers with Jon’s.

There’s silence for a second, and then Ronan lets out a loud whoop, causing Pundit to bark. 

“Oh my god!” Lovett yells. “Oh my god, it worked!”

Ronan jumps out of his chair and throws his arms around Jon and Tommy.

“Oh my god!” Lovett’s brain feels like slush. _Jon and Tommy._

“Lovett, stop screaming and get over here.” Tommy calls out from somewhere within the group hug.

Lovett moves forward and is immediately pulled into the circle of arms.

Jon plants a kiss on Tommy’s head as they all break apart. Lovett pretends not to notice both of them wiping their eyes surreptitiously with their sleeves.

“So,” Lovett asks happily. He sits on Ronan’s lap, giving Tommy his chair back.

“So,” Tommy says, rolling his chair over to Jon’s so they can sit close together.

“So you guys are together?And I guess you made up?” Ronan says, squeezing Lovett’s waist.

Lovett swats at Ronan, but snorts. “Look at Jon’s neck, I think they more than made up, Ronan.”

Jon jerks and touches his hand to his neck, where a dark red mark stands proudly.

“Oh wow, sorry Jon,” Tommy laughs, not sounding sorry at all.

“Aren’t you glad I locked you up? Now you know what Tommy’s mouth feels like, Jon! You’re forever in my debt now. Both of you.”

Lovett’s aware his voice sounds gleeful, but screw that, he worked _hard_ for this. Okay, he worked slightly hard for this. And mostly spent a lot of brain space agonizing about his best friends.

Jon, however, is smiling at him sheepishly.

“Actually, I, um, kinda already knew what that felt like.”

Lovett stares at him. “What?” 

“Lovett, we were kind of, um, sleeping together for a while.” Tommy says, his ears pink. He’s not looking Lovett in the eyes.

“Oh,” Ronan says softly behind him, as if in realization. 

“How long?” Lovett breathes. 

“We experimented a little in Chicago, um, but then, not again until Tommy moved to LA, but even then, on and off.”

“Oh,” Lovett says. Ronan squeezes his waist again. “Three years then?”

“Lovett, we’re so sorry we didn’t-” Jon starts.

“It’s okay,” Lovett shrugs. “I guess I can see why you wouldn’t want to tell me-”

“Lovett, I wanted to tell you every day, all this while,” Tommy bursts out. “I wanted to tell you everything, ask you how I could have what you and Ronan have.”

“Why didn’t you?” Try as he might, the disappointment slips through.

“I didn’t want to put you in a position where you might feel like you have to choose between me and Jon,” Tommy replies gently. “I know that sounds stupid, but I thought if I told you how I really felt about Jon, then you’ll be in a position where you are hiding something from Jon, and I didn’t want that.”

“And I felt the same,” Jon says miserably, and honestly, Lovett does not want them to be _sad_ on a day like this. Or ever.

“I would’ve planned and gotten you together earlier if only you’d come to me, but listen, I don’t really care. No, trust me.” he reiterates, as Jon and Tommy show every sign of interrupting. “The past week with you, Jon, no offense, has been the fucking worst because you just wouldn’t stop sighing and moping and so obviously missing Tommy, and honestly, I never want to see you like that. Either of you. So I am glad you got your shit together.”

Jon stares at him for a second before he leans over and presses a kiss to Lovett’s hair, and then leans behind him and does the same to Ronan.  
“You both were super obvious in trying to set us up, but we appreciate it anyway. And you did make me tell Tommy everything. And for what it’s worth, we’re sorry for not coming clean earlier.” Jon grins, taking Tommy’s hand in his. They’re looking at each other like they’re looking at the best thing in the world. Which, Lovett supposes, they are. And they always have been.

“Excuse me, I think we played our cards well,” Ronan chimes in. “I even got you to admit you missed Jon, Tommy.”

“And yet you missed me borrowing your lube that first night when I was on the phone with Jon, Ro,” Tommy laughs, causing Jon to join in.

“He borrowed what and you didn’t tell me?” Lovett shrieks, just as Ronan’s mouth falls open. “So that’s what you were doing shut up in your bedroom all that while,” he marvels.

“Phone sex, and borrowing lube Ronan, come on, where’s your journalist hat?” Lovett grumbles.

“Ahem, Lovett, I almost let slip that I’ll check out the sharpness of Tommy’s cheekbones, but you were texting Ronan then, so you didn’t notice.” Jon sounds way too smug, so Lovett glares at him, and then redirects it to Ronan, who’s laughing so hard he’s jostling Lovett.

“In your defense, both those times you two were just distracted by each other, as always. We just wanted to play along a little when we could.” Tommy and Jon are looking at Lovett spread out on Ronan’s lap with such matching, obvious affection that Lovett’s heart skips a little.

“Put your faces away,” Lovett murmurs, feeling his neck warm up.

“But you’re okay now?” Ronan presses again. Lovett knows that he likes to make sure, double and triple check. It’s one of the many reasons Lovett loves him, even if he complains about it.

“Yeah,” Tommy says. “Jon here was brave and asked me out over the phone that day, but I panicked and made a mess of it, but, but we talked it out. We’re going to give this a go. Boyfriends. Partners. Dating. You know.”

“Tommy poured his heart out to me in the studio guys, you won’t even believe it,” Jon says proudly, leaning over to kiss Tommy soundly. Lovett tries not to stare, but they’re just, they’re beautiful, and they look _right_. Like they belong.

Ronan wraps his arms tighter around Lovett as if in agreement, and Lovett sinks back into the embrace contentedly. They did it. Or they tried to. But the important thing is, Jon and Tommy are on the same page, whether Lovett and Ronan actually helped them get there or not. And Lovett will not need to hear any more sighs in the office, ever again. That’s the most important thing, clearly.

xxx

Lovett walks into the kitchen to get his third La Croix of the day, and spots Tommy and Jon making out messily against the refrigerator for about the fiftieth time that week.

“Guys,” Lovett whines. They don’t budge.

“Jon, Tommy, I am quitting, and I am moving to someplace tropical with Ronan, and I am never ever going to see you again if you don’t let me get my drink.” he threatens.

“Send us postcards.” Tommy calls out, leaning back from Jon’s lips but moving them both away from the refrigerator, letting Lovett open it with a sigh.

“We’ll miss you,” Jon calls out, and laughter follows Lovett as he makes his way back to the office. He smiles.

xxx

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please consider letting me know what you think! I love every single comment and kudos! It's my first time writing Vietreau, and I loved writing this! I hope you're all safe, and I'm so thankful for this little fandom while dealing with the world today! 
> 
> Title is a reference to how many days Tommy and Jon spent apart.
> 
> My tumblr is tenisperfection, come say hi!


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